Personally, one of my least favorite school activities as a student was report card day. While I often knew in advance what the report card would say, I was always anxious about my parents’ reaction. Knowledge may be power, but I think we can all admit that sometimes there are things we wish our [...]]]>

Personally, one of my least favorite school activities as a student was report card day. While I often knew in advance what the report card would say, I was always anxious about my parents’ reaction. Knowledge may be power, but I think we can all admit that sometimes there are things we wish our parents didn’t know about our academic achievements – or lack thereof.

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Like our younger selves, policymakers don’t like report cards, but the tactic can definitely get an organization noticed in the media and the public. More advocacy organizations are using report cards — or scorecards — to draw attention to the performance (i.e. voting record) of Congressional and state legislators on a variety of policy issues.

Recently Environment America — a nonprofit, nonpartisan environmental advocacy organization — issued their annual Congressional scorecard. It identified members of Congress who are “Washington’s environmental champs” – policymakers who voted for the environment 100% of the time in the past 18 months on major environmental issues. The scorecard also called out policymakers who are “natural disasters” and did not support environmental legislation and/or issues. State affiliates of Environment America also replicate this approach and release scorecards focusing on their state’s representatives, as Environment Washington did in December.

Outside of the environmental movement, other advocacy groups also use the scorecard as a tool to bring awareness to and action on their issue. For example, the Human Rights Campaign issues a Congressional Scorecard each year to show how members of Congress have voted on equality issues. The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law has an interactive Web site dedicated to their annual scorecards on how Representatives and Senators voted  on anti-poverty legislation. The Web site even allows visitors to compare legislators’ grades.

Federal and state policymakers don’t like their voting records publicized and publicly evaluated. Their constituents (policymakers’ “parents” in this metaphor) are often unaware of the voting behavior and legislative actions of their representatives, and a scorecard can provide them a new, easy to understand viewpoint to evaluate their representative’s performance.

Issuing scorecards can also open doors for organizations looking to build relationships and alliances with key policymakers. Media coverage resulting from a scorecard release draws attention from Capitol Hill and state legislative staffers to your organization and may inspire — or force in an election year like this one — legislators to change their viewpoint and voting record on an issue.  In addition, scorecards provide valuable, concise information and data to reporters covering that policy issue and will help position your organization as an expert and resource for future insights.

In spite of the discomfort it causes lawmakers, the scorecard/report card approach is an effective tool in the policy communications arsenal to expand an organization’s message exposure. Hopefully, it will reinforce supportive policymakers to continue championing the issue or pressure failing legislators to improve their grade and make the honor roll on their next report card.

Before leaving for winter recess in December, U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) released the 2010 legislative calendar. While there weren’t any surprises, the calendar does provide a hint on how to get the attention of Congress this year: think local.

As is typical for an election year, the legislative schedule is [...]]]>

Before leaving for winter recess in December, U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) released the 2010 legislative calendar. While there weren’t any surprises, the calendar does provide a hint on how to get the attention of Congress this year: think local.

As is typical for an election year, the legislative schedule is shorter than 2009; the House is only scheduled to be in session for 110 days, compared to last year’s 159 days.  The target adjournment date of October 8, 2010 would give members just over three weeks of solid campaign time before Election Day (Tuesday, November 2), as well as several recesses throughout the year to return home to campaign.

While the U.S. Senate has not released their calendar, recesses and convening/adjournment dates should be similar to the House calendar.

2010 is a critical election year for Congress as results could shift power in the House and the Senate as well as on both sides of the party aisle. As a result, Congressional members and their staffs will be focused on home districts and states for most of the year. In the coming months, they’ll be paying extra attention to what’s happening in the field, instead of their Washington, D.C. offices.

Whether you are sending an email, delivering a petition, making a phone call or scheduling a meeting with your representative or senator, consider targeting your efforts to both Capitol Hill and elected officials’ offices in your own backyard. Your messages and tactics may get more attention at the local level and impact the legislative agenda. In 2010, Congress will be thinking local too.